The Wild and Scenic Chattooga River & trail

From its headwaters southwest of Cashiers NC, the Chattooga River runs 57 miles south, emptying into Lake Tugalo. Here, the Tallulah River emerges from the Tallulah River Gorge and is held back by the Tugalo Dam before continuing south. Water, in one form or another, forms the South Carolina/Georgia border all the way from North Carolina to where the Savannah River flows into the Atlantic. However only at the very northern section of the state is the water undammed, undeveloped, untamed – this is the “crown jewel” of the southeast, the Wild & Scenic Chattooga River.

The Chattooga was the first river east of the Mississippi to be granted the designation, allowing no roads to the river or development of any kind on 39.8 miles of the river since 1974. This is a remote corner of the state, the river bisecting the Ellicott Rock Wilderness which straddles three states (Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina) and three National Forests (the Chattahoochee, Nantahala and Sumter National Forests). The 15,432 acre protected corridor isn’t easily reached, especially as a portion of the “wild” river is closed to boats – your transportation here will be your own two feet.

One of the best ways to experience the Wild & Scenic Chattooga is by hiking the Chattooga Trail, a 15.5 mile trail that stretches from SC Highway 28 to Ellicott’s Rock and the SC border with NC and GA. This is the section of river that is closed to boats and there is only one other road that crosses the trail – the gravel Burrells Ford Road. This isn’t to say that it’s hard to hop on the trail – there are spur trails and intersections with other trails that lead to Oconee State Park, Cherry Hill campground, the Walhalla Fish Hatchery, and to Sassafras Mountain and beyond via the Foothills Trail.

We opted to park at the Ridley Fields parking area and hike north to Burrells Ford for a total of 11.8 miles. If you add in spur trails to the many waterfalls, this total approaches something more like 14 miles. Ellicott’s Rock, while only an additional 3.3 miles north, is an in-and-out hike – the closest parking in SC is at Burrells Ford – so truly to hike the entire Chattooga would be 18.4 miles, plus any spur trails bringing the total up to around 20.

From the southern trailhead, the trail immediately turns inland, climbing in altitude away from the Chattooga and skirting the slope of Reed Mountain. There is an option to stay on an old roadbed closer to the river, but we opted to follow the Chattooga Trail, shared with the Bartram Trail. In 1765-1766, John Bartram visited the Southeast as King George III-appointed Botanist Royal in America, bringing with him his son William Bartram. William returned to explore the Southeast when he was offered financial support from a friend in England, and traversed a significant portion of North Georgia, including Ellicott Rock; the Bartram Trail continues south along the Chattooga on the Georgia side of the river from Highway 28.

Three miles in the trail descends to the river and joins the old roadbed, and not long after crosses Ira Branch. There is a spur trail here, although I’m unsure where it comes out; the indication was that it’s 3.5 miles to SC Highway something, but the number was scratched out. There were multiple campsites along this stretch, with small sandy beaches and a towering white pine canopy. Just before hitting the 4 mile mark we passed Nicholson Ford, and soon we turned into the Lick Log Creek Valley.

Bottom tier of Lick Log Falls

At 4.3 miles, a spur trail leads directly down the slope to the confluence of Lick Log Creek with the Chattooga. The unofficial trail is steep, but takes you to the base of the lower tier of the two-tiered, 80 foot Lick Log Falls. Returning to the main trail and continuing on, you can catch glimpses of the upper tier of the falls through the rhododendron before emerging to a small flat at the head of the falls.

Pigpen Falls and plunge pool

Just after crossing Lick Log Creek on a wooden bridge, Pigpen Falls is off to the right. This 25-foot waterfall marks the junction with the Foothills Trail. Taking a right and heading 0.8 miles east will take you to the Nicholson Ford parking area, and we saw several people that had taken advantage of the proximity to the Chattooga to camp for the weekend.

We followed the signs to stay on the Chattooga Trail, now hiking the Foothills Trail as well. Around 9 miles into our hike we came to Big Bend, where a steep spur trail took us down to the highest single drop on the Chattooga. The water cascades over a rocky slope before being forced between massive boulders for a 15-foot drop before widening out across the bedrock once again. Once back on the trail we soon came to the intersection with Big Bend Trail, which leads to SC 107 and Cherry Hill campground.

Big Bend Falls on the Chattooga River

The final third of our hike went quickly, with frequent stops to take in the scenery from the banks of the river. Eventually we encountered a higher frequency of visitors, signaling our approach to Burrells Ford campground. Here the Foothills Trail splits off to the east (with a spur trail to King Creek Falls), while the Chattooga Trail continues along the edge of the river. A myriad of paths crisscrosses the campground, but following the green blazes takes you through the campground alongside the river, then up through the forest to Burrells Ford Road; the trailhead has room for a dozen vehicles. Another option is to park in the campground parking lot; in this case make a right on the gravel road (which is actually the historic Burrells Ford) and follow it up to the road and parking area.

Chattooga has historically been spelled Chatooga, Chatuga, and Chautaga, and to some is known as Guinekelokee River. It gained fame as the fictional Cahulawassee River in the book and film Deliverance, but these days is much better known as a hiking, camping and fishing wonderland. A favorite of anglers due to trout released by the SC DNR, and beloved by waterfall hunters due to the number of falls on creeks that tumble down the Chattooga Ridge. In some places the river is a wide, calm river flowing over bedrock, in others it splashes noisily on down from the Blue Ridge Mountains. In the summer the green shores shade the cold mountain waters, while in autumn the colorful hardwoods are reflected in the waters around lone trout fisherman. The Chattooga is a mysterious beauty that will lure you back again and again to the most remote corner of our state. However, with each visit you’ll discover another of the many faces of this wild & scenic mountain river that defines the boundaries of SC as surely as the character of the South Carolina wilderness.